Aubrey Brown likes to joke that her entire personality revolves around nature. And that’s a good thing, because for the last six months, she’s served as the naturalist for Franklin and Wright County. 

Hampton City officials approved the city’s water tower lease renewal at their Jan. 9 city council meeting. 
 
City Manager Dunt presented the renewal between the City of Hampton and Woolstock Mutual Telephone Association. The motion was approved unanimously during the new business portion of the meeting.
 
At the start of the meeting Hampton Mayor Steve Birdsall read the City Leadership Statement.
 

A newspaper delivery driver at Mid-America Publishing (which owns the Hampton Chronicle) was arrested for sexual misconduct charges against a minor this morning.

Many don't know about the alternative program at HD-CAL, but for over 100 graduates of the program since 2009, its existence means everything.
Program Coordinator Alexis Hoegh Vosburg said the alternative school program is for those students who don’t do well in the traditional learning environment. 
"These are not bad kids," Vosburg said. "They all have a story."

The Hampton-Dumont Community School District Board voted to replace the high school’s current Activities Director with an administrative position during a special Jan. 6 meeting.

While Iowa’s statewide average crept up to 3.1 percent, most of the region outperformed the Hawkeye State.

Most of the region bested the state jobs report released by Iowa Workforce Development.

Yesterday, the Hampton Public Library announced the following winners for their first-ever Christmas tree decorating contest: First place: Brylee and Kinzley Kline. (Parents are Connor and Chandra Kline.) Second place: Adelaide, Eleanor, Bakker, Rylan, Signe, Aspen, Renly and Lane. (Grandchildren of Dori Jo Berding.) Third place: Max, Rhett & Evelyn Johansen. (Parents are Jake and Molly Johansen.)
 

Aaron Becker is leaving his role as the Superintendent of Hampton-Dumont Community School District. 
Becker, who’s been with HDCSD since July 2022, will begin his new job as the superintendent of Prairie City Monroe Community School District on July 1.The decision was announced after the PCM School Board held a special meeting on Dec. 23. Becker was one of three final candidates for the job.

The students at HD-CAL Middle School are saving up their BARK bucks to shop for presents for loved ones.

 
Allen James Barnhart, 36, of Hampton was arrested by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 4. 
Barnhart was charged with operating without interlock, a simple misdemeanor; a sex offender registration violation, a Class D Felony; and driving with a license denied or revoked, a serious misdemeanor.

Hampton city officials deliberated the future of the abandoned buildings at 4 & 6th 1st St NW in Hampton, which they acquired through district court order, at their Dec. 9 city council workshop. 
City councilors were, for the most part, in favor of structurally securing the buildings, formerly known as Rick’s Pharmacy buildings, and they’ll vote on it during their Dec. 12 city council meeting. 

One thing was clear by the end of the Dec. 2nd Friends of Beeds Lake meeting at Center One: there is a high interest in turning things around at Beeds Lake State Park. 
Prior to the regular meeting, the board had invited members of the DNR staff to have a

Hampton Youth for Christ started in Hampton in 2009 for the high school and 2014 for the middle school and it continues to grow.
HD-CAL YFC Director Tara Friedl said the YFC program has played an important role in her life, which is why she took over as director at the start of the school year.

Doug Symens of Hansell stopped by the Chronicle on Wednesday, Nov. 13 to share this belated Veterans Day story with us: He and his grandchildren — Grant, 5; Hank, 7; and Riley, 10 — like to go on regular bike rides. Well, they often find themselves at the Hansell cemetery, where young Hank became fascinated with a headstone for a WWII veteran named Ray Schwab, who passed away in 1994.

The students of the HD-CAL Drama club pulled off a stunning performance of “Into the Woods Jr" at the Church of the Living Word over the weekend.